Replacement
by NakiatheSilentOne
Summary: EXTREME HIATUS... so sorry Summary in first chapter not enough room here . D GraymanXDeathnote crossover. Read and review! Rated M for later chapters.
1. Prologue

Replacement

**This is my second fic, but this one focuses mainly on the Noah. In a nutshell, Road, Tyki, Lulubell and Jasdebi were recreated after the war ended. However, Lulubell goes behind the other Noahs' backs and does something that gets her siblings angry. Now the Noah family decides to take Lulubell's genes and transfer them to someone else, someone Tyki was once acquainted with. This is a D GraymanXDeathnote crossover. I do not own the characters used from these mangas/animes. Enjoy!**

**Prologue****: The Transfer**

Ayumi had no idea what had just happened to her. One minute, she was explaining to her boss why she'd missed almost an entire week of work, and the next, she was collapsed on the floor, clutching her head in pain. This wasn't the first time she'd collapsed like this, but it was by far the worst.

She'd been in quite a funk for a while now. She hadn't seen Matt or Mello in forever, mainly because she'd been avoiding them. She still hadn't forgiven Matt for what he'd done or Mello for lying to her about it. She ran out of their apartment in a blur of tears, anger and despair. Then the ground was pulled out from under her and she was out cold.

That was when Ayumi had first seen one of the Clan of Noah, though she didn't know that that was who he was. All she saw was a handsome looking man in a tuxedo who'd carried her inside after happening upon her unconscious form. He intrigued her, but not enough to actually attempt to get to know him. She couldn't trust strangers that easily anymore, not since she'd cut off communication with her overbearing parents who couldn't accept the fact that she was an adult and didn't need them nosing around in her business.

Her boss had long since called for help. Ayumi could feel blood trickling through the hands that held her throbbing head. Unsteadily, she rose and looked at the mirror on the wall of her boss' office. There were marks on her forehead and they were bleeding like crazy. A sudden wave of fear ran through her, and without thinking, she started to run towards the exit, forgetting everything, her purse (with a handgun in it), her job, and her boss calling after her. People tried to stop her, she could feel them reaching out to grab her arm, but she kicked into high gear and ran as fast as she could to get away from them. She didn't want them to see the marks on her forehead. It was strange…they seemed so familiar. But why? She couldn't recall where she'd seen them before.

_Matt…Mello…someone, help me…_ she thought fearfully, bursting out the front doors of the office building and into the rainy streets, _please, I need you…I need someone…anyone…_

There was someone screaming in her head. Screams of agony, of someone in pain…of someone dying. She couldn't recognize them, and to say the least, she didn't care. The pain in her head was getting worse and she could've sworn that the marks were bleeding even more than before.

_I'll take back everything I said to you, I'll forgive you for Koichi…if you'll just be there for me to run into, Matt…Mello, if you catch me, I'll forgive you for lying…just make the pain go away!_

"STOP IT!" she screamed. She wasn't sure anyone heard her.

Finally, Ayumi gave into the pain and stopped running, falling onto the wet pavement. She felt the vibrations of footsteps coming towards her, then felt someone pull her into their arms and hold her. Then she fell from consciousness and dove head-first into darkness. The screaming continued for a moment more, then left her in silence.

Tyki stood underneath his sleek, black umbrella with Jasdero and Debitto on either side of him. He'd seen Ayumi run from the office building, and felt her hit the ground when she collapsed onto the street.

"Looks like the transfer was a success." He said quietly, taking a cigarette from his coat pocket and putting it between his teeth.

"Heh…she runs fast." Debitto added, smirking.

Jasdero smiled in turn. "Very fast. Hee hee!"

"So, Nee san, you think she'll do?"

The taller Noah nodded, lighting the cigarette. "I think so. She's perfect."

People were gathering in a crowd around where Ayumi had fallen. Her boss was holding her, shouting for someone to call an ambulance until his voice grew hoarse. Passersby were looking on in shock and horror, thinking that this girl was a torture victim or something. She certainly looked like one. Such wounds on her forehead! Who could've done this?

As the three were watching, Tyki suddenly blinked, then shook his head. The twins looked up at him.

"Road's ready. Go on, you two. Get Ayumi."

"Roger."

"Hee hee!"

That said, Jasdero and Debitto disappeared from underneath the umbrella, running faster than the human eye could distinguish. But Tyki could see them perfectly as they zigzagged through the crowd and snatched Ayumi from her boss' arms and ran with her in Road's direction. Road was standing on the edge of the next block, her heart-shaped door behind her, shrouded in darkness.

The twins skidded to a stop in front of her. Tyki appeared behind them. Road smiled at them. "All ready, then?"

"As I'll ever be," Tyki replied.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get this over with." Debitto held Ayumi's upper half.

"She's heavy, Road!" Jasdero added, holding Ayumi's lower half.

Road whirled around and pushed the door open. "Then let's get out of here before the spell wears off."

Slowly, the Noah walked silently through the door, not looking back as behind them, just as slowly, real time started to resume. The minute the door closed, Ayumi's boss realized that Ayumi was not there. He looked around him in a panic. Where had she gone? Other people did the same thing, looking both confused and uneasy. It was as if she'd disappeared into thin air.

In a sense, she had.


	2. Chapter 1: Unbelievable

Chapter 1: Unbelievable

**Chapter 1****: Unbelievable**

Shortly after Ayumi's disappearance, her parents ordered an investigation as to where she could've gone to. This had happened no sooner than her boss had informed them.

Now, her parents had never really liked Matt or Mello that much. That was the first place the cops went to during their investigation. Matt and Mello hadn't expected it, but after three years of being out of the mafia, they were pretty clean and their fake names (Jeffrey and Mike) kept their identities completely secret. Also, these cops had never seen either of them before, so there was no way to tie them with some of their past exploits.

The investigation set off a chain reaction of different things, other than Ayumi's parents freaking out. Matt and Mello started to get worried as well. They hadn't seen her since she had run out the week before.

"The only place she could've gone is her apartment." Matt said as the two of them walked there.

"Yeah, because there's no way in hell she would've gone back to her parents."

Matt fumbled with his cigarette pack, trying to get it open despite his slightly shaking hands. He wasn't so sure that Ayumi would answer the door for them, were she actually there. Right before she ran out, the redhead had pleaded with her, saying he was sorry. Mello, on the other hand, hadn't uttered a word. He had a feeling that she was madder at Mello than him (not that he'd tell Mello that for fear of getting a bullet in the head).

When he finally managed to get his lighter working, Mello glanced at him. "What's with you? You look nervous."

Matt didn't answer, merely took a long drag of his cigarette after lighting it, snapping the lighter shut.

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

"What?"

"Why are you shaking?'

"I'm not shaking. Who's shaking?" that was a dead giveaway in itself.

The blonde walked in front of him and stopped him, looking him in the eye. "You're not afraid to see her, are you?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what's your problem?"

"Mel, I'm just concerned. Aren't you?"

Mello blinked. Concerned was an understatement, he could tell. But he felt the same way. Ayumi could've gotten herself in trouble, running out the way she did. Hopefully she hadn't, or if she had, it wasn't anything serious. Mello groaned and continued walking.

"Come on. She's probably locked herself in her apartment. That's what she did the last time she ran out." He said that to convince Matt, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

Matt clomped along behind the scarred blonde, hoping he was right. He felt like a complete fool for keeping the truth from Ayumi all this time. He'd be lucky if she'd ever forgive them. On the inside, he was a little mad at Mello for trying his hardest to keep it under wraps, never once thinking about what might happen if she just happened to overhear them talking…which is exactly what _did_ happen.

After two more blocks and three flights of stairs, the two were standing in front of Ayumi's front door. Right off the bat, they knew something was wrong. An odd feeling came over them as they entered. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked.

"Ayumi? You home?" Mello called, "You know, it's stupid to leave your door unlocked like this."

His voice echoed. Matt looked around. "She's not here."

"Yes she is," Mello replied shortly, "She's just hiding." He proceeded to look in the other rooms.

The spare room was completely undisturbed, as per usual. In the kitchen, all of the dishes were cleaned and put away, leaving the sink spotless. The trashcan was empty. The bathroom held no occupants. Then they went into her bedroom. Something was definitely wrong. The bed was messed up and the drawers of her dresser were yanked open, their contents all over the floor. Her closet held dressier clothes that were dangling off of the hangers. The whole room looked like she'd gone and packed her bags in some sort of mad frenzy.

"She must've left town." Matt commented, sidestepping a pair of panties.

Mello looked into her closet, then back at Matt. "No…her suitcase is still here. Her purse is here too, but it's…empty."

"Her gun's gone?"

"Yeah…maybe she didn't have time to pack. Her boss said she disappeared."

"He also said she fainted. How could she just up and leave it she fainted?"

"Well, the fuck if I know. But she's not here, so there's no point in being here. Let's go back home."

But Matt wasn't convinced. "Mello, what if someone did something to her? This doesn't feel right."

"Who would've done something? And even if they did, why didn't they come after us too?"

"Maybe it's not an enemy of ours," Matt's voice rose, getting agitated, "Maybe it's someone she knew a long time ago! For God's sake, Mello, can't you just pretend like you give a damn about her?"

Mello hadn't expected the redhead to explode like that, but nevertheless, he was prepared with an answer. "I'm here looking for her with you, aren't I? Why the fuck are you getting so defensive?"

"You're acting like she meant nothing to you at all! You didn't so much as try to stop her when she started to run away!"

"Oh, like you made a grab for her, Matt! All you did was scream that you were sorry!"

"Who chased her down the fucking street? I did!"

Before any other words could be uttered, Mello's cell phone rang. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "What?"

The voice on the other end hesitated. "Er…is this Mike?"

Mello's eyebrow rose, glancing at Matt. "Depends on who's asking. Who's this?"

"Yuri. You know, Ayumi's sister?"

"Sure…why is her number showing up?"

"Th-This is her phone," Yuri said in a slightly hurt voice, "I…I thought that I sh-should call and t-tell you…"

Mello sighed. "Look, don't start crying, we're just kind of worried about Ayumi is all. She hasn't been by in days. Is she there with you right now?"

"N-No, you see, she's…she's…oh, turn on the T-TV! Go to the n-news channel!" her next few words came out in an upset rush, then the line went dead.

She'd spoken loudly enough for Matt to hear her, so he was the one to turn the TV to the news. Mello snapped his phone shut.

Ayumi's picture was on the news. An anchorwoman was standing in front of her parents' house, the occupants standing outside in tears.

"Mello…" Matt started to say.

"Shut up." He held up his hand as the anchorwoman started to speak.

"_This is Bonne Richards reporting live from the Inozuka estate. I am sad to report that after a long search by the local police, Ayumi Inozuka, daughter of the prestigious banker, was pronounced dead this morning after finding this," _she held up a bloody jacket, _"not far from her place of employment, the Sheridan Co."_

Mello's phone dropped from his hand.

"It can't be…" Matt's eyes widened behind his goggles.

**The Inozuka Estate, later that day…**

Yuri closed her phone. She'd tried calling Mike again, but had no such luck. He wouldn't answer. Her father came up behind her.

"Dear, who do you keep calling?" he asked.

She looked at him. "I was trying to get a hold of Ayumi's friends to see if they saw the news."

"I don't want you talking to them," he said, taking the phone from her hands, "They could've been part of the reason why she's dead."

Ms. Inozuka was slumped on the front steps, her face buried in her hands. Yuri looked from her to her father. "But dad, the cops said they'd cleared them. They were just as worried as we were. Mike told me so!"

Just as she said that, a beat up-looking red car pulled through the front gates. Everyone looked up to see as Matt and Mello got out and came up to them. Mr. Inozuka met them halfway.

"And just what do you think you're doing here?" He said gruffly.

"Getting the truth," Mello replied, "How do you know Ayumi's dead? I didn't see any proof!"

"Did you not see her bloody jacket? Are you blind?"

Matt glared at him. "That's not enough. No one found her body, so you can't say she's dead! For all you know, she's still out there!"

"That's right, you should be out there looking for her! She could be in trouble!"

"Well, if you're so sure of this, then why aren't _you_ two looking for her?" Mr. Inozuka shot back at them.

His wife came up beside him. "Indeed! Why are you wasting time here yelling at us? Can't you see we're hurting?"

"Oh, and we're not? You think we're not hurting as much?" Matt snapped.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Mr. Inozuka growled, "You're not welcome here. Don't make me call security!"

Yuri ran toward them. "Dad, stop it! Stop yelling at them!"

"Listen to your daughter!" Mello pointed at her, "Yuri, you don't believe Ayumi's dead, do you?"

"Don't talk to my daughter! You'll get to her the way you got to Ayumi!"

"What was that?!"

Mr. Inozuka's eyes were practically burning. "She was staying with you, was she not? How do we know that you didn't have something to do with this?"

They both faltered, but tried to hide it with their anger. Ayumi's running off made them partially responsible.

Her father continued, "You were around her all the time! If someone took her, then why didn't you stop them?"

"Okay, first of all," Matt replied, coming up to him, "She _wasn't_ living with us, she had her own apartment! Second, her boss said she fainted, then vanished right in front of his eyes! We had nothing to do with that, and that doesn't make her dead!"

Yuri came inbetween them. "Dad, listen. He's right. Ayumi called a couple of days before she disappeared, saying she had…" she glanced at Matt and Mello, "fallen out with her friends. I don't think she would've answered if they'd called her, so there really was no way they could've known."

There was a long silence as her father considered this. Mello gave Yuri a small, slightly relieved smile. Matt merely nodded, still looking angry. This was ridiculous. He was letting them get distracted when they should be out looking for Ayumi.

"Sir," Mello finally said, breaking the silence, "Jeffrey and I are going to keep looking for her. If we find anything, we'll let you know."

He pulled Matt away, back towards the car. Once they'd gotten in and started it, the Inozuka family went back inside their massive house. Matt pulled his goggles off and pulled out another cigarette, sighing loudly. Mello regarded him silently.

"Hey…I'm sorry I lost my temper. Her father just really pisses me off." Matt said.

Mello snickered. "Better you than me. If I'd lost it, I would've shot the guy."

"Are we really gonna tell them anything if we find her?"

"…Maybe, maybe not. That all depends on them, really."


	3. Chapter 2: Strange Place

Chapter 2: Strange Place

**Chapter 2****: Strange Place**

"_Ahh…Road, she won't stop bleeding."_

"_Well, you didn't either when you first got your holy mark, did you, Tyki?"_

"…_Point taken. Hand me those bandages, will you?"_

Not more voices…Ayumi didn't know if she could take it anymore. For a while now, she'd been hearing voices and was unable to see where they were coming from. Was she really unconscious or was she just unable to open her eyes? Why did the first voice sound so familiar? She felt hands moving through her hair and over her forehead, behind her ears. She was sure that she shivered once or twice, which caused the hands to stop momentarily. Once they started again, she wouldn't shiver. It always happened once in the beginning.

After what seemed like hours, Ayumi's eyes finally decided to open. No harsh light made her turn away sharply. Instead, she was looking up into pitch blackness, dotted only by floating, striped candles. She felt comfortably warm, and by moving her arms slightly back and forth, she concluded that she was lying in a bed, beneath a blanket. When she tried moving her legs, she felt that they were bare.

"Uh?" she sat up.

Looking down, she saw that she'd been dressed in her black, silk nightgown. When had she put this on? Where were her clothes? Her bag was on the night table beside her, but…except for the nightgown and the odd atmosphere, all of this seemed very familiar.

She reached inside her bag and ran her fingers along the cold steel of her gun. Recalling what happened last time, she didn't bother taking it out. The bullets had more than likely been removed.

Her vision went blurry for a moment, causing her to lurch forward, hands going up to her head. There were bandages wrapped around her forehead, cutting through her black hair.

_Well, that explains the hands running over my face…_

Voices…there were voices coming from outside of the room, or wherever she was. Ayumi looked down at the floor skeptically, wondering if it was really there. It was as black as what was supposed to be the ceiling. She slipped one leg out from under the covers and started lowering her foot to the floor to test it. A wave of relief swept over her upon seeing that it was real. Carefully, she got out of the bed and stood on her own. The warmth left her and she felt chilly. Not really paying attention to it, she started towards the door, pulling it open and exiting to the next room.

Now it looked more like a house. The ceiling still looked pitch black and also had candles floating in the air. But there were walls with archways that lead to other rooms, and long corridors in either direction. Ayumi walked forward, through the archway, into what looked like a living room. There were sofas and huge armchairs scattered about, an oriental rug on the floor and a fireplace on her left. Even as she passed the fireplace, she did not feel any heat. Instead, the cold got stronger as she approached another archway.

_What is this place?_ She thought, a little afraid to speak.

The next room was the coldest, and before she knew it, the reason was right in front of her, hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Ayumi clapped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. It was a woman! There was a woman hanging from the ceiling! She inched closer, not dropping her hands just yet. The woman did not stir. She had those same marks on her forehead. For a second, only a second, Ayumi thought she could hear the screaming in her head again.

Finally, she removed her hands. "H…Hello? Are you alright?"

The woman did not speak.

Ayumi reached out and touched the woman's side. She was as cold as ice, causing a shiver to run through her arm right to her spine. This was where the cold was coming from. Now she wished that she hadn't gotten out of that bed.

"I wouldn't bother. She's been dead for a while, now." A girlish voice behind her said.

Ayumi whirled around. Another girl was standing in the archway, looking a little surprised. Her skin was dark, and her eyes were golden. She reminded Ayumi of the man that found her the first time she'd collapsed.

"I didn't think you were awake yet." The girl said softly.

"Why is this woman dead?"

The girl came forward, her shoes clicking on the floor, echoing throughout the room. "Because she went behind our backs and tried to do something that was unforgivable."

"She's making the whole place so cold," Ayumi drew her arms around herself, feeling goosebumps on her skin, "How long has she been dead?"

"Oh, four or five weeks, I think. How do you feel?"

"I, uh, I don't know—"

"Hold that thought." The girl spun around and trotted back to the archway, leaning to her left. "Hey, Tyki! She woke up!"

Ayumi's eyes widened. She knew that name. Coming forward, toward the girl, she waited for this person to appear, to confirm what she was now suspecting. Tyki appeared a few seconds later, a look of surprise on his face.

"Well," he said, blinking, "This is interesting. I didn't think you'd wake up for another week!"

"It's you!" Ayumi drew back, afraid for some reason, "You're that guy!"

Tyki chuckled. "Oh no…Road, can you believe it? She forgot my name."

The girl, Road, giggled. "Come on, she's still flustered."

"It's alright, you don't have to be scared." The handsome Noah smiled, "Feeling any better?"

Ayumi looked away. "I don't know. I'm confused."

"Why?"

"Because….because I barely know either of you, but…" her hands reached for the bandages on her forehead and started to unravel them, "You seem so familiar…and so does this dead woman."

Tyki ran a hand through his own black hair. "Well, you already sort of _know_ me. Road is our family, and that woman," he pointed behind her, "used to be our family too."

"'Our' family?"

"Here, look into this," Road went and grabbed a mirror off of the wall and held it in front of Ayumi's face.

Ayumi's face went pale and her eyes wide. There were marks on her forehead! The same marks that caused her to collapse back at her boss's office! They were still red from the blood, but beneath that they were as black as, as…as Tyki's marks, and as Road's.

As the dead woman's…

Road took the mirror away. "You see," she explained calmly, "That woman used to be Lulubell, and she was a Noah, like us. But when she did that unforgivable act, we killed her and removed her Noah genes."

"Then we transferred them to you," Tyki added, "Making you like us. You're our family now, Ayumi. You're a Noah."

The cold was getting unbearable. Ayumi's legs turned to jello and she sank to the floor, shaking like mad. Tyki got down on one knee and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Ayumi. Don't be afraid."

Road crouched down as well, looking at Ayumi with her big golden eyes.

"You mean I-I'm not human anymore?"

"No, we're still human beings. We're just more like super-humans."

"But why me? What made you choose me?"

"Well…" Tyki glanced up at Lulubell, "You were around Lulubell's age, and you were healthy enough that the transfer would more than likely be a success, and it was."

Ayumi felt like her whole life had been a lie. She didn't know if what they were saying was the truth, though it did certainly feel like it. Also, the two of them started feeling more and more like family to her. It scared her.

If she had become part of this family, then what became of her old family? Her parents and her sister? Tyki read her facial expressions as she thought this.

"When we brought you here, we left your coat behind by accident. Your ex-family thinks you're dead." He said matter-of-factly.

One would usually be shocked at hearing such a thing, but to the two Noah's surprise, Ayumi chuckled softly.

"What's funny?" Road asked.

Ayumi looked up. "That's so typical of my parents…I vanish for a little bit and they file me as a missing person. And this whole becoming a Noah thing, it's the most bizarre thing to ever happen to me, yet I'm not even shocked anymore. Is that odd or what?"

Tyki smiled at her. "That's your new Noah genes at work. But don't worry, you won't forget about your old life. That sort of thing stays with you."

"Yeah," Road added, "Just all the people that knew you will forget about you."

That did it. Ayumi's calm attitude disappeared as quickly as it came and she stood up abruptly, causing Road and Tyki to do the same. "What? Everyone will forget I ever existed?"

"In a couple of days, yeah."

"No, I don't want that! Isn't there something I can do to avoid it?"

Road put her hands on her hips. "Avoid it? Why in the world would you want to avoid it?"

When she couldn't say it, a silence took over. Road bounced back and forth on her heels, waiting for an answer. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard in the hallways. Everyone looked to see two shadows approaching the room.

"Ah, that'll be the twins, then." Tyki murmured.

The first shadow became a person, coming into the archway. "Dumb Tyki, you'll _never_ get it right!"

The second one followed suit. "It's Jasdebi!"

Ayumi stared at them. They didn't look like twins at all. The first one had short black hair and the other had long blonde hair (she suspected that it was a wig).

Tyki rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So, what's the status on her family?"

"Wait, you were spying on my family?"

Debitto answered as if he hadn't heard her. "Er, a couple of days ago, two guys drove up to their place and started arguing with 'em."

Jasdero nodded in agreement. "Then they drove off really fast. Hee! Really fast in this cool red car!"

Red car…they were talking about Matt's car. There was no doubt about it. Matt and Mello went to see her parents? "Why were they there?"

Debitto and Jasdero looked at her. "Oh, you're up finally. Well, your parents pronounced you dead, and like, these two guys didn't like that."

"They yelled and got angry at your parents. They didn't believe a word of it at all!"

Ayumi's mouth dropped open. "_WHAT_?!"

The twins reared backward. "Scary…"

Tyki started snickering. "Oh, _that's _why, Road. She wants to go to her friends and let them know that she's alive."

Road looked to Ayumi. "I see…well, that makes sense. I was about to say…if you wanted to go to your parents, I would've had to have said no. There's just no point in convincing them anymore, is there?"

She shook her head. "No…I couldn't convince them to get off my back before now."

After some slight planning and a bit of locating, Ayumi was lead through Road's door to the entrance of her old neighborhood. For a second, she became nostalgic and felt tears beginning to mist in her eyes. Then she froze after realizing where the door had dumped her.

Her mother and father were coming out of their house, dressed in black. Yuri was following behind, her face hidden behind a tissue. The three of them were getting into a limousine parked outside. Ayumi stood in front of the gates, her hands wrapped around the wrought-iron bars. She wondered if they could see her.

Just before Yuri got into the car, her eyes met Ayumi's.

"Yuri…" she mouthed her name, unable to call out to her for some reason. She almost felt afraid to.

Yuri looked away and got into the car. The limousine started moving towards the gates, which started to open. Ayumi got out of the way, tearing away from the last glimpse at her old life and started walking again, hoping that Matt and Mello wouldn't look at her the way Yuri just had.

"Yuri? Who were you looking at out there?" their father asked as the car drove away.

"No one. I thought I saw something." Was her reply.

Ayumi felt a tug at her heart. She could hear what they were saying. After that, she forced their voices out of her head, not wanting to hear them anymore. She started to feel nervous and anxious. Hopefully, she wasn't too late. Road never said that there was a time limit until they forgot her, but judging by the fact that her ex-family didn't even see her, she guessed that she didn't have long.


	4. Chapter 3: Anguish

Chapter 3: Anguish

**Yes, I know…it's been a while since I've updated. Hiatus is a bitch, isn't it? Well, hopefully after you read this extra long chapter, you'll forgive me. Hope you like!**

**Chapter 3****: Anguish**

It was Wednesday. Where would they be on a Wednesday night? Ayumi racked her brain for an answer. It had been so long now, she could barely remember. Nine o' clock on a Wednesday night…

_Night…a night club. That's it! _She snapped her fingers.

There was always that one night club they'd go to on Wednesday nights. Luckily, it was only a block or so from their apartment (its convenience in location was one of the main reasons they went, other than the cheap booze and good music). Hopefully, she'd find them there. There was no way they'd be home, for if she knew Matt and Mello at all, when they were worried they'd go out for a drive, or for a drink, or anything to keep themselves from falling into despair.

With them under the impression that Ayumi was missing and possibly dead and the club being so close, the chances of them being there were so good, it was scary.

Right before she started looking for the nightclub, Ayumi had gone by her own apartment and snagged a pair of flip-flops and a jacket she'd nicked from Mello once and hadn't given back, since she was only dressed in her nightgown (gets a bit drafty after a while). She wondered why he never asked for it before.

Something else came to mind as she was walking away from her building. Why was her room a mess? More importantly, why were her panties scattered all over her bedroom floor?

_**Jasdebi did it.**_

Ayumi gasped, skidding to a halt on the corner. "What?"

"Huh?" a man beside her looked at her.

"Oh, nothing. Thought I heard something." She replied.

Once way was clear, Ayumi stared straight ahead, walking to the next block. _What was that? It sounded like Road…_

_**That's because it was me, silly.**_

This time, Ayumi didn't gasp, but nearly tripped over a discarded beer can lying near a trash can. _How are you talking to me like this? Are Noah telepathic too?_

_**In a sense, yeah. We used to talk to akuma like this, but since we were recreated, we've only been using it to talk to each other at great distances. But getting back to what you were thinking before, Jasdebi messed up your room when we sent them to go find you some clean clothes.**_

Ayumi's eyebrow twitched. _Why did you send them to do it? Why didn't you go?_

_**They already had your house key.**_

This was starting to bother her. From what she could tell, both of those two weird Noah were boys. _You know, they went through my underwear drawer._

… Road paused a moment. Ayumi assumed she was asking Jasdebi about it. _**They said they didn't know where to look, so they looked everywhere. **_

_Okay, okay…forget about it. As long as I don't find either of them with a pair of my panties, I'll forgive them._

_**Good luck finding your friends.**_

Ayumi let herself smile. _Thanks, Road._

She felt like was getting used to the idea of being a part of the Noah family.

Up ahead, a neon sign glowed…_The Love Shack_. A cliché name for a club, but cheap booze and good music made up for what it lacked, Ayumi assumed. Now for the hard part…how was she going to get in?

A back door. There was a back door to every club, so all she had to do was find the back door to this one and just hope to God that there was no one else on the other side of it.

* * *

"Hey barkeep, pass another two shots of Vodka this way."

"Mel…I think we've had enough."

The scarred blonde bit back the urge to say the typical "I'll tell you when I've had enough" line and instead gave Matt the "I'll tell you when I've had enough" look. Matt sighed and reluctantly snagged the shot glass as it was passed to him. Forgetting himself, he sipped the shot in a very un-bar like manner.

"What are you, a pussy?" Mello growled at him, "Slug the thing down like before!"

The redhead gave him a sideglance. "I don't feel like getting drunk off my ass right now, man."

"Look, Matt," Mello set down his glass, "I know that this whole thing is getting to you, it's getting to me too, but we're running out of ideas, here. We've thought up every idea of where Ayumi could be that we could think of, and every time it's lead us to a dead end."

Matt didn't reply.

"We've been running around like this for weeks. We need a break. And besides, we're within walking distance of our place, so it's forgivable to get shitfaced."

"Sounds like you're about ready to give up, Mel."

Mello's eyes narrowed. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying that if we don't take a breather, we'll end up crashing at the wrong moment. Think about it…what would happen if we just dropped dead right there in the street, and she's only a couple of feet away?"

Matt sighed again. "We'd miss our chance."

"Exactly. So, come on, slug that bad boy down. We'll find her."

The two looked at each other. Then they brought up their shot glasses, clinked them, and downed them at the same exact time. They smiled at each other as they ordered another.

Finally, after about ten shots apiece, Matt got up. "Gotta take a piss, man. Vodka went right through me that time."

He slid off the barstool and ambled through the crowd to the restroom.

At the same time, Ayumi wandered into the room from the back. It was a miracle that no one had noticed her yet. She looked around her, scanning the crowd for the blonde and redhead duo. Hopefully, they were dressed as per usual…leather and stripes.

_This is weird,_ she thought, _it's almost as if no one else can see me…like my parents and Yuri…_

That notion made her shiver unpleasantly. What if Matt and Mello didn't notice her either? How would she get them to see her? She started to move through the crowds, eyes alert, hands clenched in anxious fists. Maybe, just maybe, if they didn't see her, they'd at least recognize the jacket.

Suddenly, a flash of golden caught her eye. It came from the bar at the other end of the room. Her heart swelled with relief when she recognized the scarred ex-mafia man himself slugging down another shot of Vodka. She started towards him. People in the crowd danced and twirled around her as if she were merely a ghost or a mirage (or possibly an alcohol induced hallucination). When Ayumi came to the end of the room where the bar was, she stopped at the unoccupied corner barstool and glanced at the mirror behind the counter. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized that she had left her forehead uncovered. Her holy mark was there for everyone to see.

She side-glanced at Mello. _He's somewhat religious, isn't he? Maybe he won't be as surprised by it…_

Mello glanced over in her direction. Ayumi turned and faced him all the way, rooted to her spot. Did he see her?

He looked right through her at the restroom sign that was behind her to see if Matt had come out yet. All he could see was a blur inbetween him and the restrooms, a sight he waved off as a sign that he'd drunken too much.

Ayumi's heart fell into her stomach. _He still can't see me._

Meanwhile, Matt stumbled out of the men's room. He too could see this blur when he looked in Mello's direction. He mumbled to himself, "Knew I should've quit while I was ahead…damn Mello, _had _to sweet talk me into drinking more."

Ayumi whirled around to see Matt standing right behind her, leaning on the barstool as he spoke. "M-Matt?"

The redhead blinked, looking up again. The blur had gotten worse. It almost seemed…_closer_ now. What the hell? Had the bartender spiked his drink? He could've sworn that he'd heard someone say his name. It sure as hell wasn't Mello. Mello was paying the bill, and furthermore, it was a girl's voice.

"Can you hear me, Matt?" Ayumi waved a hand in his face, "Matt?"

Matt took off his goggles and rubbed his eyes. "Shit…I must be drunker than I thought. Lemme go see if my pupils are dilated."

He turned on his heel and started to stomp back to the men's room. Ayumi followed him, now more anxious than ever. He could hear her. Now she just had to make him _see _her. But wait…he was about to go into the men's room! She couldn't follow him in there! As Matt went to push the door open, Ayumi's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"Matt!"

He jumped upon feeling someone touch him, then jumped again when he saw who it was. His eyes doubled in size and he couldn't speak. Then, when he thought he could get a word or two out, Ayumi jumped on him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You can see me!" she cried.

The force of it caused Matt to stumble backward and hit his head on the wall behind them.

"Fuck!" he shouted, the pain rushing to the spot on the back of his skull.

Mello looked upon hearing the all-too-familiar voice curse. What was he doing? He slid off of the barstool and made his way over to the redhead.

Ayumi stepped back, loosening her grip on him. "I'm sorry, I just got so excited…oh, you have no idea how relieved I am!"

"You? _You're_ relieved?" Matt put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her out at arm's length. "Ayumi, for God's sake, we were fucking worried! Where the hell did you go?"

Before she could answer, they both looked to see Mello coming their way.

"What, did you trip on your own feet, Matt?" the blonde still couldn't see Ayumi, "What are you doing with your arms?"

Matt looked from Ayumi to Mello in disbelief. "Are you _blind_ or something? Can't you see her?"

"See who, your imaginary friend, here?" he smirked, playing it up as a joke.

Without thinking, Ayumi reached out and snatched up Mello's arm the same way she'd gotten Matt's. The smirk faded quickly and was replaced by a gaping, fish-out-of-water look.

"A…Ayumi?"

"Why couldn't you see her before?" Matt looked at Mello.

"I don't know…Jesus, she just appeared right before my eyes the minute she touched me!"

"Yeah, I know, she did it to me too." They both looked at her, "how'd you do that?"

Ayumi shrugged. "I don't know. I just did it."

Mello realized that his mouth was still open. He quickly shut it, then pulled her away from Matt. "Come here, you. Fuck…we thought you were…we didn't know what to think!"

"Where did you go, Ayumi? Did someone snag you? Your parents, they—"

"I know," Ayumi nodded, "they think I'm dead."

Matt's green eyes rested on her forehead. "What is that? A tattoo?"

Mello let her go, looking as well. "…We shouldn't talk here. C'mon, let's go back to our place."

* * *

Road sat cross-legged in an armchair, chin resting in her hand, the other hand resting on her knee with her fingers tapping in a thoughtful manner. Tyki looked over at her from the book he was reading.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing…" she replied quietly, "Just checking up on Ayumi. She found her friends and got them to notice her."

"Oh. Where are they now?"

"…Walking out of the club they were in. I think they're going back to someone's place. Both of her friends seem kind of shaken."

Tyki rested the book on his leg and leaned forward. "Did she tell them yet?"

"Nuh uh."

"Then why…?"

"They probably noticed her mark," Road replied, her brow furrowing, "But also, I think they're relieved that she's okay. Hmm…they seem to care a bit more about her than her ex-family did."

"Seriously. Her parents gave up on her real quick, didn't they?"

Road shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, sitting back in the chair and relaxing. "I'll check back a little later."

"I can do it if you're tired, Road."

She smiled. "It's alright, Tyki."

"You think we should tell her to come back here after she's done?"

"Nah," she shook her head, "I think she'll be okay. We hardly spend time in this realm as it is, unless we're gathering for a family thing."

Tyki nodded, picking up his book again. "True, true…so, was I right or what? Ayumi is turning out to be a pretty good pick."

Road smiled slyly at the handsome Noah. "Oh, Tyki, we won't know that for sure until she starts using her powers."

He looked down at his book, unease settling on his face and in his head. They forgot to tell Ayumi what she represented as part of the Clan of Noah. But he wondered if maybe Road purposely forgot to tell her, just to see what would happen. It wasn't unlikely for her to do things like that.

_I just hope Ayumi doesn't get herself in trouble like Lulubell did…_he thought glumly.

* * *

Matt and Mello's apartment looked exactly the same as it did before Ayumi ran out on them. There was still that faint smell of cigarettes mixed with a chocolaty aroma…a scent that was both arousing and enough to make you gag at the same time, especially if you weren't used to it or forgot what it smelled like. The room that Matt and Mello shared was a mess of discarded clothing and mussed-up bedsheets. The spare room where Ayumi used to crash in was locked, probably collecting dust in her absence. The living room was lit only by computer screens and the floor was lined with various wires and cords.

"What's with all this?" she asked as they entered.

"What does it look like?" Mello replied, pulling his jacket off and tossing it into his room.

"We were using it to try and track you down." Matt added.

Ayumi's face fell. They went through all of this trouble? Even after…

_Even after I ran out on them before all of this, after I found out what they'd done…_

Matt led her to the couch, motioning for her to sit down. She complied, feeling nervous. How could she tell them about what had happened to her so that they would understand? She had no idea what she should say, and to make matters worse, Matt and Mello were towering over her like two cops trying to intimidate a witness to a crime, arms crossed and eyes locked on her (She noted that this was something she could relate to, since it had happened to her).

Her hands twisted in her lap. "Look, I can't tell you guys calmly if you're standing over me like this."

They looked at each other, then Mello nodded to Matt, backing up and sitting down in the chair at the other end of the couch. Matt sat on the couch beside Ayumi.

"Okay," Mello said, "Go ahead."

During the time it took for them to sit down, Ayumi had come up with a good way to get through to them. "Well…I suppose everything will make sense if I start from the beginning. You guys remember that time I ended up in a hotel with some guy who'd found me passed out on the street?"

Matt nodded gravely. "That was when you first saw us shoot someone and ran out of the building."

"Yeah, that time…well, you see, the man that found me kinda found me again this time, only he wasn't alone. After I ran out of my boss' office and fainted on the street, they came and got me out of there and took me to their place until I woke up."

"How many where there?" Mello interrupted.

"Four. And all four of them," she reached up and pointed to her forehead, "had this same mark on their foreheads. They called it a holy mark, the mark of the Clan of Noah." She felt a pit in her stomach. Here came the hard part…

"Clan of _what_?" Matt looked at her, hands clasped in his lap.

Mello sat up. "The Clan of Noah, a clan of supposed descendents from the apostle Noah. But Ayumi, the whole clan died out decades ago. How could they have come back all of a sudden?"

"They were recreated," she answered almost immediately, not realizing that she even knew that until it was spilling out of her mouth, "and they picked me to replace another one, because…"

Both boys looked at her, leaning closer in expectation. "Because…?"

"…I don't know why. They never told me exactly why they killed her, but it doesn't matter now." She looked back up, "I'm…I'm a Noah now, and that's where I've been this whole time…with them."

A haunting and unnerving silence settled in after she started speaking. Ayumi looked from Mello to Matt, repeating this over and over again until she finally focused on the floor. They didn't look like they believed her. They didn't even look like they _didn't_ believe her, but it seemed as if they were trying to figure it all out.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Matt ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know…this all seems like too much…"

"But why would they pick you to replace this other Noah?" Mello stood up, coming closer to the couch.

"I don't know why. Maybe it was because I'd met one of them before. They said I was the right age and was healthy enough, but that doesn't give me much to go on."

"Well," Matt reached over to grab the phone, "what really matters is that you're alive, so I think we should call your parents and tell 'em to quit thinking you're dead."

"No, don't bother."

His hand froze midway. "Huh?"

"They think I'm dead, and it's gonna stay that way until they forget about me altogether." Ayumi told him, "Everyone else that knew me before I became a Noah has already forgotten that I ever existed."

Mello's eyebrow rose. "Then how come we haven't forgotten you?"

"Because I found you guys before you could." She stood up and faced him, "Road – one of the other Noah – told me that if I could get to you guys before tomorrow, you wouldn't forget about me. That's why you didn't see me until I touched you, because you were starting to forget about me."

Matt dropped his hand, remembering the blur he saw in the club. She was the blur the whole time? He must not have been as drunk as he thought he was after all. "That's….so out there. But it makes sense, in a farfetched sort of way."

The scarred blonde shook his head. "This is too much…I'm going to go sleep this off." He started to walk towards the bedroom, "We'll continue this in the morning."

Ayumi looked at him in disbelief. "Mello, you and Matt don't believe me, do you?"

Mello stopped in front of the doorway. Matt looked up at her.

"Look at me, both of you." She clenched her fists again, "Do you really think I'd make all of this up?"

Matt didn't answer, but looked at Mello. Mello was half-turned in their direction.

"I may have seen a shinigami," he answered, "and I may have killed people with a murder notebook, but even I know the limits of the supernatural, and what you're telling us goes way out of bounds."

"How can you say that?" Ayumi's voice rose, "Do you think this is makeup I'm wearing right now?" she rubbed a hand across he forehead for emphasis, "This isn't a tattoo on my forehead, it's a holy _mark_! I ran out of my boss' office that day because when the mark started to come in, it bled like crazy!"

"If this is true, then where are the other 'Noah" clansmen you mentioned? Why aren't they here?"

"Mello…" Matt glanced at the blonde, "Lighten up a little, will you?"

"What, Matt, are you telling me that you believe this?"

He looked at the floor. "Well, I mean…I see no reason _not_ to…"

Ayumi could hear the doubt in Matt's voice. "No, Matt, don't pretend like you're one hundred percent on my side, because I know you're not!"

"Ayumi, there's just no way to prove that any of this is true unless there's some hard evidence," he replied, "and Mello's got a point. Where are the other Noahs?"

She bit back the urge to scream. "I came her by myself because this was _my_ problem to solve! You're _my _friends, not theirs! I can't make them come here because I don't know how! But you have to understand, you guys, I heard screaming in my head when I was running out of that office, my forehead was bleeding and I was in a lot of pain until it stopped, and it didn't stop for days! I was scared out of my mind, and I still am! Why the hell would I make any of this up?"

Mello turned all the way around. "You could've done it as payback for what made you run out on us in the first place, for what we did to Koichi—"

"I don't care about what happened before!" she yelled louder than intended, making both boys jump, "I don't care that Matt killed my boyfriend to save you, Mello, because it doesn't matter anymore! None of that matters anymore!"

Mello and Matt were speechless. She wouldn't forgive them for lying to her about it before, because she loved them, then said that she hated them. But now…now she didn't care?

"Ayumi…how can you say that?" Matt stood up.

"Because even if none of this had happened to me, it wouldn't change the fact that Koichi is dead, or the fact that he was going to give you to the police! Even if he weren't dead, he wouldn't remember me now, would he?" she answered wearily, as if she'd been saying it all along.

They just stared at her.

She fell back onto the couch, exhausted from shouting. She felt tears brimming in her eyes. "What was the point in coming to find you two," she mumbled, "if you weren't going to believe me?"

Matt sat back down beside her. "Ayumi chan, don't cry…"

Mello snatched a tissue from the box on the kitchen counter and came around to the couch, brushing it over Ayumi's face, saying nothing. Ayumi didn't look at him.

"…Look, I'm sorry, okay?" he said in a somewhat gruff tone, "just…quit it with the waterworks, will you? This is just a little tough to swallow. You gave us one hell of a scare."

"Yeah," Matt nodded, "Besides, what's important is that you're okay. We're relieved as fuck that you're not dead like your parents think…_thought_ you were." He glanced at the clock. It was midnight, so her folks probably forgot about her by now.

Ayumi nodded, swallowing hard. It was the best way to stop herself from crying anymore. Then, out of the blue, she pulled off the coat she was wearing, remembering that it wasn't hers.

"Um, here," she held it out to Mello, "I, uh…think you'll want this back."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "When the hell did you get this?"

Her face tinted red with embarrassment. "I kinda stole it."

Matt almost snickered. "I think we're finally rubbing off on her, Mel."

Mello stood up straight and turned away, heading for the bedroom again. "Look, it's late, so stay here tonight. Matt, unlock the spare room for her." Then he disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Matt pulled Ayumi to her feet. "C'mon, you must be knackered after all this weird shit."

She almost smiled. "Yeah…I guess."

He pulled the spare key out of his pocket and walked over to the door, Ayumi at his back. "I don't know about you, but I really need a smoke, or I'll never get to sleep."


End file.
